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May 14-17, 2009

Lincolnton, North Carolina, Jasper, Covington and Suches, Georgia and Cookeville, Tennessee

We DID make it to the church, Daystar Christian Center in Lincolnton, North Carolina just in time. With the motor home not running like it should Bobby and I were both feeling a lot of stress, and wondering if we were going to have to cancel a date made us both feel even more stressed. Bobby was losing patience with the kids and I was losing patience with him. At one point when he was out of the motor home, I asked the kids to pray with me as I rebuked the enemy and reminded him that if God called us to travel and minister, then we were going to travel and minister as long as GOD said we should. Not until Satan wanted us to stop but until GOD said we should stop. I know the adversary doesn't like what we're doing and he'll do anything he can to discourage us and ultimately stop us from going any further. But God's Word is the FINAL Word and so much can be accomplished through praying in His Holy Spirit and agreeing with His Word.

When we pulled up to the church at 6:45, there were people literally standing in the parking lot waiting for us, ready to help carry equipment in. A couple of men lifted Grace out of the van and I fixed the girls' hair right there in the parking lot while Bobby set up in 10 minutes. We were ready to start at 7:00! We were a little frazzled, a little tired and a little disappointed in having to park the motor home but we were already thankful for this group of Believers that, in just a few minutes, had welcomed us with helping hands and open arms.

Thursday night was the regular night for the midweek service at Daystar and the room was almost full. The youth had joined us and I don't think we've ever been in a more lively, responsive, excited congregation. I knew by the middle of the first song Bobby sang that the Holy Spirit was there in the room. I also knew that Bobby and I were going to leave that service feeling like we got a whole lot more out of it than anyone else.

I shared my testimony and after we sang “'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus,” Bobby asked Pastor Joey to come up and lead the altar call. Pastor Joey was emotional as he shared that he as a pastor and all of them as a church body were at a place where they had to completely trust Jesus as the lease for their building was up and the money that was needed to renew the lease was not there...yet. He asked the church to come up, circle around and enjoy a time of prayer for each other. I was privileged to have a sweet young lady come to me, specifically, and in tears tell me she didn't know why but she just knew God wanted her to pray for me. She said she's not normally emotional and seemed a little embarrassed but I know that when God puts someone and something on your heart to pray for it can cause you to show a lot of emotion.

Just when I thought I'd been blessed enough, God sent 3 home school moms (one of whom was Tracy, Pastor Joey's wife) to corner me in the back of the church. We laughed a lot and encouraged each other with keeping the faith in home schooling our children. The worship leader said she believed home schooling truly was a calling. I stared at her speechless for just a second and then said, “I'll think about that.” They laughed at me.

I knew Bobby was out in the parking lot waiting for me to bring Grace out because he couldn't load anything else until we got Grace in the van. So just as I was starting to move Grace, Paula, the third woman that had been standing there sharing with us, stopped me and with a deep breath said that God wanted her to share something with me but she didn't want to do it. She argued with God during the service and then when I gave my testimony I said, “So whatever it is that God wants you to do, do it and do it quickly,” something I've never said before. At that point she surrendered and told God she would approach me after church. When she saw that I was back in the corner of the room she figured that was the opportunity God was giving her to move. She had written a song 25 years earlier and the Lord told her to sing that song to me. The words were exactly what I needed to be reminded of that night. I thanked her from the bottom of my heart for being obedient and using the courage God gave her to do what He asked her to do. Again, I started to move Grace toward the door but she stopped me one more time and again, with great trembling she said that she was not accustomed to giving anyone a “Word from the Lord,” but God wanted her to tell me something. Based on the Word of the Lord to Moses regarding the children of Israel, she said that God was saying that He sees my tears and he's not forgotten me. He's a God that delivers and He will put together the broken pieces. This time there were tears in my eyes as I began to thank Him for not forgetting me and my daughter who I have shed many tears over the past ten years. It was a timely word as I had just finished an exhausting day and was in the process of finishing up our first home school year in which I have been troubled about how to give Grace what she needs.

I just KNEW we'd walk away with a whole lot more than what we came with that night. Hallelujah!

On Friday morning after laundry and breakfast, we headed back to Spartanburg to get the food out of the freezer in the Caterpiller and take it with us. And then it was on to Jasper, Georgia to see our friends, Wes & Marie Nolan and their 3 children, Katie, Kasey and Kristopher. We met Wes and Marie when, as members of the Jasper Merchants Association, they invited Bobby to sing at the 2^nd annual Night of Lights, Jasper's Christmas celebration back in December of last year. Wes arranged for us to sing at Holy Spirit Ranch, a home for underprivileged children and those with special needs. The home is owned and operated by Joe & Virginia Betts who have given their lives to reaching and ministering to kids who, by the world's standards, don't have much going for them. We had a great time in the horse barn in spite of the heat and the buzzing flies. Guests that came out to the ranch that night brought food to share and we were fed very well in the air conditioned house and around a campfire. Later we moved up the hill to the bunk house where we felt like campers as Bobby, the kids and I all slept on bunk beds for the night. The kids loved that, don't ya know?

Mrs. Virginia cooked a wonderful breakfast of scrambled eggs and cheese and French toast and had one of her boys, Jose, bring it up on the golf cart on Saturday morning. We had school after breakfast and then met the Nolans for lunch before heading down to Covington to sing at another Cowboy Church.

It's not very often that people will ask to pray for Grace but Pastor Tim of Trail To Christ Cowboy Church asked Bobby if they could anoint Grace with oil and pray for her. When he finished praying, Grace said something to him. I couldn't understand her but she spoke. I waited for her to say more but she was finished.

From Covington we drove north 2 and a half hours to "Gold City" Dahlonega, Georgia where we easily found the Holiday Inn Express and upon check in learned that there were 2 adjoining rooms for us. It's such a treat for us to get to stay in 2 rooms where everyone has a place to sleep. The 3 girls don't have to sleep sideways on one bed and Landis doesn't have to sleep on the floor. We were so appreciative of the pastor we would meet the following morning for being so generous toward us.

I opened the drapes to awaken the kids on Sunday morning and was delighted at the view of the

mountains from the third floor. And as we drove up through those hills to find Harmony Church of God in Suches, we marveled at the fact that God knew ahead of time that we could never have driven the Caterpillar up those hairpin curves and steep hills. And of course we saved a lot of gas money!

Pastor Mike Usry and his sweet wife, Angela, greeted us in the parking lot when we pulled up. God blessed us with another great service and the Nolan Family graced us with their presence once again as they made a 90 minute drive from Jasper to join us. The altar time was precious as 3 individuals came up for prayer and Pastor Mike spent time praying with each one.

We enjoyed a great lunch thanks to the church cooks, hugged Wes, Marie and the kids goodbye and said we hoped to see them the following weekend. Then it was back to the curves and hills all the way to Knoxville! Sometimes I think Laverne (our GPS) has a loose screw. I thought it would have made much more sense to drive from Suches, Georgia over toward Chattanooga, staying on the northeast side of Chattanooga and then drive straight north to Cookeville, our destination. But no. Instead, Laverne told us to drive through the hills of East Tennessee where a couple of the kids thought about getting sick. I told them not to think about that. After 3 hours of hilly curves and curvy hills, I was never more ready to get on the boring Interstate.

The concert Sunday evening in Cookeville was special just because we were so close to home. We were blessed to meet Pastor Ken Stephens and his wife, Rita. We had a good-sized group of people at Praise Cathedral but unfortunately no one responded to the altar call.

All day Sunday the kids were trying to wrap their brains around the fact that they'd be sleeping in their own beds that night. If they were singing in a Sunday evening service then surely they'd also be staying in a hotel. They were pretty happy to get home and get out of that mini van. They only lacked 2 more days of school so with a week full of beautiful weather, they had a lot to look forward to as they drifted off to sleep ...in their own beds.